The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-04

malady which she supposed had seized upon her
offspring. the neighborhood declared that "mean-
ness had struck in on him."
Outside OF bis family circle he was universally
called ''Punkin." No one seemed to know how
he came by the name. In all probability his
color suggested it. He was almost yellow rs
that plethoric vegetable which universal usage
calls "punkin' bat which photographers per-
sist in spelling pumpkin"
He was sallow, sulen. illfavored whelp
recognized by all. except his mother, as half
wtted and wholly bad.
To use modern expression, Punkin Barker
was terror" His instincts were destructive
He had a mania for breaking things He would
prowl around party of workmen in woods or
field until he had located the water Jug, and
then steal up and smash it. A row of milk
crooks set out to sun had a kind of fascination
for him. He would lie in wait for hours, with
his pockets full o. stones. for an opportunity to
shy at them. He had no associates; would not
work, and did not care to play. and spent his
waking hours lettering along the river and about
the woods alone.
Sister Barker had mission and weakness.
Her mission was to keep Lishe in the straight
and narrow PATH and finally to get him into
the Kingdom. At heart; Lishe was Methodist.
he had az his wife hopefully announced, been
soundlv converted as many as a dozen times,
but, being emotional and easily Influenced, he
backslid with facility truly amazing
On two occasions during the first year and a
half of their Indiana life the Bankers had gone
thirty miles TO quarterly meeting" Each
time, on his return Lshe had announced to his
neighbors that he had received full pardon for
his numerous sins and shortcomings, and that
from that day until the end of his life he meant
to be devoted disciple of the Lord. By the
second Sunday, at furthest, he had forgotten all
about the disciples except their early calling,
and went fishing.
Sister Barker knew him we'll. She knew all
his weaknesses and shortcomings, and mourned
| them. Not in anger, but in love and pity She
saw that he needed ''line upon line and precept
|
them. she piled them up by scores and hundreds
until Lishe became morally stoop shoulded car
rying them
Her weakness was for Punkin. ''He's q ex-
ira ordinary boy" she would say, in confden
| tial way. Hits his mind as is troublin' him.
Hits too strong for his body-entirely too strong.
| Hit never rests you know, an it jest wears his
poor afflicted body out. He does bad things
| know, but he don't mean EN- for bad. Bless
| your heart he's as innocent as lamb I'm tryin
| to learn him better. but he's weakly
darsn't confine him long enough. It'll all come
out right t. / have. faith to believe that the
good Lord will take keer OF him, an in His own
| good time call him to be a preacher of the
| gospel"
| The surest way. she thought, to accomplish the
two great aims of her life-the salvation of Lishe
| and the calling of Punkn to preach the gospel.
| would be to have Carriers Landing" as the
ing place by the Methodists. and to that end she
directed her energies She tried to organize a
class meeting and prayer meeting, but did not
succeed. Lishe was the only male member OF
the church in the neighborhood, and he could
not be induced to lead, and public sentiment
would not approve of a woman doing 1t.
Finally. she Went thirty miles on horseback &c
see the presiding elder, and laid the matter be
| fore him.
I'm specially anxious about my husband,
Lishy,n she said. He backslides so easy tina,
| I'm always Uneasy for fear he'll be tuck sudden
an die in his sins. He's good man. Elder. an
| a perfessor. too an he RELY means to be relg
ious, but he's so weak he's allus goin' back te
the beggary elements of the world. b'lieve II
we had class-meetin' an prayer -meetin'. an the
other means of grace thar handy he'd never
| miss of em, an they'd keep him straigh
| an at last git him to glory.
| ~ hate to tell it to you. Elder but want yor
to know eegsacly what danger he's in. He plays
the fiddle. He's sweet fiddler, too, an every
| body wants to yer him play. an they pull an
| haul him aroun', an it draws his mind away
from heavenly things. know you'll say hits
sinful thing, an so | say myself, an l confess
| haven't done my whole duty aboutit. I've never
said he shouldn't play it at home
| "Ht's great comfort to him, Elder. an
| own up it sometimes comforts me. When we
| git to talkin' about the good revival meetins
| we've been to an the sermons we've yerG
| preached back in Kaintueky his heart gifts kind
O. tender, an he gifts his fiddle an plays Jesus
| My All, an Come Thou Fount. an l think it.
| the most beautiful purity music ever listened
| to, an l b'lieye it does us both good; indeed
do. But then he gifts away from me among the
| carnally minded an plays Bear Dance an
| Possum Trot,' an Arkansas Traveller an sicf
oneodly tunes, FAN feel hits a-perilin his soul
Her appeal moved the heart of the good ole
elder. 1t would be only twenty miles out o.
the way as he came in from the north end of hi
district, he said, and he would ride by and sta.
| all night and see what could be done.
month later he came The entire member
| ship of the struggling church at Carriers Land
ing consisted of the Bankers and three sisters
| They met with the Elder that night, and, led b.
him, they sang and prayed and told their expert
enceS. and there were not six happier people il
| Indiana than they
Lishe was ''soundly converted" again. and tn
elder proceeded then and there to organize
''class." and appointed Lishe "leader," which
position, in his renewed faith, he gladly accept
ed, and Sister Barker was happy.
But day interviewed between the organization
of the class and it's first meeting, which tn
Bankers spent in notifying the neighborhood 0
the appointed time and place.
1t was new thing to have meeting in tina
nei hborhood, and when the hour arrived IN
Barker cabin was filed to it's utmost capacity
Lishe conducted the services in the time -hoI
ored and still existing way
When the FIVE members of the church ha
spoken Lishe felt that the meeting was too goo
to be brought to close Ike Hodges. the sen
man of the neighborhood, sat next to the las
sister who had spoken, and Lishe called on hir
to speak.
A few of the more thoughtless of the congre
CATION had shown disposition to laugh at som
of Lishes odd expressions, as the meeting pre-
crossed. That disposition manifested itself i
some very pronounced giggles at the thought
a speech in public from one who could scarel
be induced to answer direct question in pr
vate.
Ike did not respond but sat with as placid
coun.enance as if he had not been spoken to
all. Lishe repeated the invitation. Still theI
, was no response The .1eader" was equal to til
, emergency In order to relieve Ike from emba
rassment, and smooth the way to calling upo
, others, Lishe said:
WED all like powerful we'll to yer ye tall
, brother Isaac but it's not fur us to say whetht
We shall ur shan't While it's sign that til
, heart is full NV religion to be telin it, yt
xon't allus do TO say Their amt no religion VIII;